


Arthur's Seat

by SPowell



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Gwen's POV, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Whump, hurt!Arthur, medication-addled, sexploits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-06
Updated: 2013-05-06
Packaged: 2017-12-10 15:14:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/787470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SPowell/pseuds/SPowell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for a kmm prompt. When Gwen finds a folder on Merlin's computer entitled "Arthur's Seat," she thinks she's going to see pictures of the famous landmark. Instead she winds up finding out the two friends she thought were straight are not only gay, but involved with each other.<br/>Told from Gwen's pov, this follows Arthur and Merlin coming out to their friends. Arthur's gf and father are less understanding than others, but the close-knit group rallies around him.</p><p>Disclaimer: I make no profit from this endeavor. The characters belong to BBC and Shine, along with legend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Arthur's Seat

 

 

 

“Gwen, are you sure you should be looking on Merlin’s computer?” Lance says. “I’m just not comfortable with this.”  
  
“It’s fine, Lance. I know his password, because Merlin uses the same password for everything, and I really, really need this recipe for tonight. Stop worrying, will you? It’s not like Merlin has any secrets or anything.” Gwen taps determinedly at the keys, opening one file after another. “See? Here it is.” She finds what she’s looking for and hits print. As they wait, something catches her eye.  
  
“I didn’t know that Merlin’s been to Arthur’s Seat…” she clicks on the file and what she sees is not at all what she expected. “Oh my God. Lance.”  
  
Lance has wandered across the room and stands in front of the mirror, checking his hair. “What is it?”  
  
“Lance.” Something in Gwen’s voice must make Lance turn around. Gwen has her hand pressed to her chest. “You are not going to believe this.”  
  
Lance walks back to where Gwen is sitting at the desk with Merlin’s laptop open in front of her. He leans down and peers at the screen where there is a photo of a man standing, bare ass to the camera.  
  
“Wow. Okay, well.” Lance clears his throat.  
  
“This was in the file named Arthur’s Seat.” Gwen looks at Lance. “Lance, do you think…that’s Arthur’s arse?”  
  
Lance looks at Gwen. “Why would Merlin have a picture of Arthur’s arse on his computer?” he asks on a laugh. “That’s ridiculous. I’m sure it’s something else. Come on—the recipe’s printed. Let’s go.”  
  
Gwen hits the arrow and looks at the next picture. “Shit, Lance, oh, fuck! This  _is_  Arthur’s arse!”  
  
Lance sighs and drags a chair over. “How do you know?”  
  
Gwen gives him a look. “I dated him for six months, you know that.” She points to the butt in the picture. “First of all, Arthur has a very fine arse.” She pats Lance on the knee when he looks affronted. “So do you, of course. But I recognize this little, white birthmark just here…” She points. “I’m telling you, this is Arthur’s arse!”   
  
She clicks again and gasps. In the next picture, Arthur is bent over a chair. If there was any doubt before, there isn’t any now, because besides his long, muscular back, the man's blond hair can clearly be seen in the photo.  
  
“Lance!” Gwen squeaks, because Arthur has red hand prints all over his butt cheeks and it's pretty obvious that he's been spanked rather enthusiastically--most likely by  _Merlin_.  
  
Lance lets out a low whistle.  
  
“I don’t understand!” Gwen says very fast. “I thought that…I mean, Merlin and Arthur are both straight! What are they doing? Why would Merlin be…be…spanking Arthur and taking pictures of it?”  
  
“Obviously they aren’t as straight as you thought they were,” Lance says with a wince when the next picture of a long, pale, slick finger being inserted into Arthur’s rear-end appears on the screen.  
  
Gwen makes a noise somewhere between a squawk and a moan. She hits the arrow, but it only gets worse with more fingers added, and then a fat dildo. By the end of the file, Arthur’s bottom is dripping and stretched and--isn't that  _Merlin's ring_  on the hand squeezing Arthur's right arse cheek? The last picture in the queue takes the cake with what could only be Merlin’s cock entering the puckered, slick hole.  
  
Gwen practically catapults out of the chair, leaving Lance to close the file and shut down the computer.

 

  


  
  
At the party that night, the success of Gwen’s perfectly prepared pepper corn chowder is somewhat dampened by the fact that she’s seated between Arthur and Merlin. She cannot get the memory of those photos out of her mind.

Lance keeps shooting Gwen warning looks that plainly tell her she’d better not open her mouth and say something. Like she would say anything. What would she possibly say? _Merlin, I got on your computer without asking and saw pictures of you playing with Arthur’s arse, not to mention fucking him in it…_ No, she would never say that. She is irritated with Lance for even thinking it. She gives him a sour look.

“Is there something wrong, Gwen?” Merlin asks, making Gwen jump. She looks at him, and suddenly thinks of his cock, rather longer than she’d ever imagined it, not that she’d ever imagined it. _Okay maybe once or twice._

“Wrong?” she clears her throat because her voice sounds too husky, and in the process she inhales a piece of corn and then starts to cough. The next thing she knows, both Arthur and Merlin are pounding her on the back, just like they pound each other, she thinks, and coughs some more, eyes watering. Elena hands her some water.

“Thanks,” Gwen croaks out, then, “Elena, do you have any mascara in your purse? Mine’s run out.” She gets up from the table, gives everyone an apologetic smile, ignores Lance’s dangerous glare, and follows Elena into the bathroom, which she immediately locks.

“Elena,” she says, turning and leaning against the door. She proceeds to tell her what she found on Merlin’s computer.

“Really?” Elena is obviously intrigued, but not as shocked as Gwen expected.

“Why aren’t you freaking out?” Gwen demands in a frantic whisper. “I am traumatized by this! Two of our friends are not who we thought they were! Arthur has been dating Sophia, for fuck’s sake! And…and Merlin and Freya! Aren’t they an item? When did all this man-on-man fucking take place?”

Elena shrugs. “I don’t know, but I think it’s sweet. I’m happy for them.”

Gwen looks at her incredulously. “What planet have you beamed down from exactly? I mean, this is crazy!” She shakes her head. “I should have gotten Morgana in here.”

“I’m sure Morgana knows her brother is bi,” Elena says.

“So that’s what they are? Bi? And they just never bothered to mention it?” Gwen asks, hands held out in supplication. She just wants to _understand_. “I mean, I dated Arthur. He never told me he swings both ways. Isn’t that something that might come up when you’re sleeping with a person? If you had dated Merlin, wouldn’t you be freaking at this?”

Elena sighs. “Calm down, Gwen. This really isn’t any of our business, if you think about it.” Elena proceeds to pee, flushes the toilet and washes her hands. “Can we go back now?”

Gwen nods, and they return to the table where their friends are laughing and having a good time.

After dinner, Gwaine suggests they play a game.

“Monopoly’s fun,” Percy suggests.

Gwen narrows her eyes. She’s been sitting on the couch, legs crossed, bouncing her foot up and down while watching Merlin laugh and Arthur talk as though they aren’t shagging like porn stars behind everyone’s backs while barely even acknowledging one another in front of them. Elena seems to have already forgotten their conversation, and Lance has pointedly been avoiding looking at Gwen, Merlin, or Arthur.

“I have a better idea,” Gwen suggests, trying to keep any trace of evil intent out of her voice. “Let’s play Truth or Dare.”---

“Gwen, may I see you in the kitchen a moment?” Lance asks, rising from his chair, solicitous as always, but Gwen sees the spark in his dark eyes.

Gwen gets up and follows Lance.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he asks her.

“What do you mean?” she asks innocently. “We’re going to play a game.”

“I know what you’re up to, and I am ordering you to stay out of their business.” Lance puts his hands on his hips, a sure sign that he means business.

“Oh, you’re ordering me, are you?” Gwen replies, pursing her lips.

Lance moves closer to Gwen, his face just inches away from hers. He rarely takes a firm stand against her, so she gives pause.

“You can’t just out them in front of all their mates. If they wanted everyone to know, they would’ve told us already. They have a right to their privacy.” His face softens and, as he always does, he digs beneath all Gwen’s bravado and finds what’s underneath. It’s the reason she loves him and was drawn to him in the first place; Lance is the other half of her soul. “I know you’re hurt because you’re close to both of them and it really stings to find out that they’re close to each other and you didn’t know it. But Gwen, think about what you’re doing. At least go about it in a different way.”

Gwen gazes into Lances large, soft, brown eyes and realizes he’s right, _dammit_. She leans in and kisses him gently, rubbing their noses together before drawing back.

“You just earned yourself an awesome cock sucking later tonight, Mr. du Lac.” Then she turns and walks back into the living room, grabbing a bottle of vodka on the way.

“Change of plans!” She announces. They do vodka shots, laughing and giving up their most embarrassing moments and worst first dates and disastrous first kisses until the bottle is empty and everyone is a bit watery-eyed, including Lance, who has sported a woody ever since Gwen’s announcement in the kitchen. Gwen becomes increasingly annoyed as Arthur and Merlin continue to treat one another as polite acquaintances when she bloody well knows they’re more than that. Much, much more.

Having had enough, Gwen herds everyone into a circle and places the bottle in the middle. Elena is giggling and leaning into Gwaine, who keeps stroking her hair and whispering in her ear. Elyan, to Gwen’s horror, makes lewd joke after lewd joke, mostly to Leon and poor Freya, the two most likely to be embarrassed by them. This is what happens when shy people drink too much. Gwen knows her brother will be horrified when he sobers up and hears about it, and she’ll make sure she’s the first to tell him, even if she has to steal his phone so no one can beat her to the punch.

“Okay,” she announces, clapping her hands to get everyone’s attention, “now we’re going to play Spin the Bottle. Remember that one? First round, wherever the bottle points when you spin it, you have to kiss that person. It has to be an open-mouth, real French kiss to count. In fact,” Gwen smiles and asks her brother for his mobile. “I’ll set the timer on 90 seconds just to be sure.”

Now she’s just going to make sure the fucking game goes on until either Merlin or Arthur has to kiss the other one. Exactly what this is going to accomplish, she isn’t sure, but in a moment of inspiration, she whispers to Freya to go get the Jello shots out of the refrigerator and proclaims, “After every kiss, everyone has a Jello shot.” Fortunately, she made a ton of them, and maybe, just maybe, if she gets the guys drunk enough, they’ll give up this farce.

Gwaine points out that the vodka bottle is too squared to spin, and there’s a moment when they have to wait for him to finish off the wine so they can use that bottle, and then they’re ready to begin.

Lance seems to be okay with this less intrusive way of digging out Arthur and Merlin’s secrets, and he gives Gwen a small smile. She can see the outline of his still partially stiff cock in his pants, and her panties moisten at the sight. She licks her lips and gives him a wink.

“Who wants to spin first?” she asks. When no one offers, she shrugs and leans forward, spinning it herself. When the bottle points to Percy, Lance’s eyebrow shoots up. Gwen smirks and sets the timer.

Percy’s not one to hold his drink very well, so when Gwen lifts the hem of her skirt and slowly crawls toward him, he has to blink a couple of times to register what’s going on. There are a couple of catcalls from the audience, one of which Gwen is sure comes from Arthur.

Gwen straddles Percy’s lap where he’s sitting leaning against the sofa, and when Elena says, “Go,” Gwen brings her lips to Percy’s in an open-mouthed, dirty kiss. After all, she wants to set the precedent for the game. Percy’s chin comes up, his tongue comes out to meet hers, and it’s _on_.

Gwen’s never kissed Percy before, and frankly she’s a bit surprised at what a good kisser he is. He’s such a quiet guy, but _man_! He really knows what to do with his mouth! His lips never seem to get wet—they’re just the perfect combination of smooth and warm. Gwen has to hold in a little moan that she knows would send Lance across the circle in two seconds to rip her off of Percy’s lap.

The buzzer sounds and Gwen pulls away, her lips clinging to Percy’s of their own accord. She shares a look with him that she will have to remember and puzzle out later, and moves back to her seat. Lance doesn’t appear happy at all. Everyone reaches to take a Jello shot. Merlin gives Percy a knuckle-rub on his head.

“It’s your turn,” he tells his large friend. “You get to kiss someone else now.” Merlin’s grin is wide and teasing. He’s obviously enjoying Percy’s discomfort.

Percy blushes a bit, but good-naturedly leans forward and gives the bottle a spin. Everyone watches as it stops and points right at Will, who sags against a chair, his head leaning back.

“Is he even conscious?” Percy asks uncertainly.

“Enough to take the Jello shot,” Gwaine says. He nudges Will, who makes a grunting noise, so Percy moves over toward him.

 “Sorry, mate,” Percy tells Will sincerely. “I’m straight, so this probably isn’t going to be very good.” Leave it to Percy to apologize for his kissing technique, Gwen thinks with a wry smile.

Will groggily lifts his head, eyes going wide when Percy’s lips meet his and his mouth is pried open by a questing, decidedly male tongue. “What the—“ Will starts, and Percy uses the opportunity to take each side of Will’s face in his big hands and delve deeper with his tongue, closing his eyes and obviously doing his utter best to do the kiss justice. Watching the large man snog Will after just having had his lips on hers gives Gwen a little thrill up her spine. She notices that Freya is watching the exchange with particular interest, as is Morgana. Gwen belatedly realizes she hasn’t pressed the timer, and hurriedly does so, hoping no one’s noticed.

In the end, Percy and Will get quite the long kiss.

Everyone takes a shot, and then Will spins the bottle. It lands on Morgana, who looks like she might bolt. However, she’s just drunk enough to allow it, and the resulting snog is one the group won’t quickly forget. Gwen thinks that Morgana enjoys it more than she lets on, and Gwen kind of hopes she’ll get to have a go at Will before the game’s over so she can see if he’s as good a kisser as he looks.

When Morgana spins and gets her brother, everyone agrees to let her have another go, although Gwen is a bit disappointed for Arthur to lose a turn. This time the bottle points to Elena. She and Morgana put on such a dirty show, kissing and rubbing up against each other, all the men in the circle are squeezing their cocks before it’s over with. The two women collapse in a pile of giggles, feeding each other their Jello shots and licking it off each other’s fingers.

“Now why can’t you boys be more of the exhibitionist like that?” Gwen asks, pouting. Her head is spinning because of all the liquor, and she doesn’t immediately realize it when Elena spins and the bottle points to Lance.

Part of her is ready to rip Elena’s head off, and another part is detached and just watching as Lance and Elena kiss. It’s as though Gwen’s head is a cloud floating up on the ceiling, and she just can’t bring herself down in order to do anything about what’s going on right in front of her face. Thankfully, Merlin has the presence of mind to set the timer, and it isn’t really that long before it buzzes and Elena gets her whore-ass off of Gwen’s boyfriend. The next Jello shot hits Gwen like a train and she’s buzzing badly when Lance spins the bottle and it points to Arthur.  
  
Oh, shit. She slaps her own face, sitting up to get a load of this. It’s a good thing Sophia isn’t there, or she would ruin it in one way or another, most likely with stupid commentary. Lance smiles a little shyly at Arthur. He and Arthur both hold their liquor way better than anyone else there, with the exception of maybe Morgana, and although pretty sloshed, neither man is anywhere close to shit-faced.  
  
They have imbibed enough, though, to be relaxed with one another, and when Arthur snakes his hand around Lance’s neck, Lance leans in and gently rubs his lips over Arthur’s in a move that makes Gwen wet. Everyone’s eyes seem to be riveted to them, and suddenly Gwen remembers and looks at Merlin.  
  
And then she knows. Because there’s something on Merlin’s face, and Gwen isn’t sure she can even put a name to it. It’s probably there and gone in an instant, and no one else is paying any attention, but Gwen has seen it, and all at once,  _she knows_ that this isn’t just some kinky little thing between Merlin and Arthur. It’s something more. At least it is for Merlin.  
  
Gwen turns her attention to Arthur, because the buzzer sounds and Lance pulls away from him, and in a telling move, Arthur’s eyes immediately go to Merlin. The exchange Gwen sees there solidifies her suspicions.  
  
Gwen smiles. “Maybe we’ve had enough,” she says, probably too loudly since she’s quite drunk. She really just doesn’t want to see Arthur spin that bottle, kiss someone else, and then that look on Merlin’s face again, no matter how fleeting. She doesn’t know what’s up with those two—how they got together or why, and why everything’s so secretive, although she kind of suspects it has more to do with the constraints on Arthur’s life than on anything to do with Merlin—but her curiosity is satisfied.  
  
That doesn’t mean she’s through meddling, though.  
  
Arthur seems to be relieved to give up the game, sagging back onto the floor and covering his face with his arms.   
  
“Thank God,” he says. “One more shot and I might puke.”

Everyone is in a general drunken fog, although Gwaine and Elena slink off to a bedroom. Gwen’s parties usually end up with people passing out or pairing off, but everyone stays. It’s a rule established a long time ago—don’t come if you don’t plan to stay. Gwen doesn’t want to be responsible for any accidents, and they only do this every few months. Part of the fun is making breakfast in the morning, after all.

Gwen snuggles up to Lance on the sofa, the buzz in her head a comfortable hum just this side of hypnotizing.

“Sexy, that kiss,” she murmurs into Lance’s shoulder.

“The one with Elena?” he teases, and she pinches him.

“No, git, the one with Arthur. Made me wet.”

“Yeah?” Lance leans down and kisses her, tongue playing with hers. Lance is a marvelous kisser, no doubt about that. She melts into it.

Will is snoring in the corner, and Morgana has turned on some truly obnoxious music in a back room. Gwen can hear her melodious laugh and Percy’s deep chuckle. Gwen sees that Merlin and Freya seem to be having a rather deep discussion, and Arthur is either napping under his bent arm or listening. His chest rises and falls rhythmically, and his lips are slightly open, so it could be the former. No one is paying attention to Gwen and Lance, so Gwen snakes her hand inside Lance’s shirt and delicately plays with his right nipple.

He draws air in through his teeth. “You little vixen,” he says, teeth all white in the dimness of the room.

Lance lightly sinks those teeth into Gwen’s neck, making her gasp. Gwen would like nothing more than to drag him back into her bedroom, but she really wants to know what’s going on with Arthur and Merlin first. She wonders if Freya knows something; from the unhappy look on the girl’s face, she imagines that she does. Freya and Merlin’s conversation has come to an end, and Merlin has gone into the kitchen. Freya speaks a few words to Arthur, and Gwen wishes like hell she could hear them. Arthur’s face is serious—so serious, Gwen almost goes to him. Lance is tugging on Gwen’s ear lobe with his teeth.

“Come on, then,” he urges, his fingers brushing enticingly over her nipple.

What the hell, she isn’t going to learn anything at the moment anyway, so she unwinds her limbs from Lance’s and allows him to tug her in one room after another only to find them occupied. Finally, they end up in the large walk-in closet in Gwen’s bedroom, which handily contains a few quilts and pillows and offers optimum privacy. They hurriedly undress, and Gwen is shaking in her need to touch Lance’s skin. It’s dark, so she can’t see the golden perfection of it, but her fingertips eagerly seek out the planes of muscle across his back as he pulls her forward, pressing their naked bodies together.

“God, woman,” he mutters into her neck before reaching up to cup her breasts, thumbs teasing the nipples so that she squeals. He moves his hands down her sides, one sliding between her legs where she’s had herself waxed to a thin line of hair. “Soaking for me.”

She drops to her knees, taking his length in her mouth, gagging on his girth as she knows he likes her to do, and Lance barely conceals his groan of pleasure. Elena’s recently given Gwen some tips on blow jobs, and Gwen applies them now, relishing the way Lance shudders and gasps while he fucks her mouth, pulling at her hair and cumming deep in her throat—so deep that she barely tastes it as she swallows.

“Fuck, Gwen!” he sighs, sinking down and dragging her with him. He nibbles at her neck, sinking two fingers inside her, wet squelching noises filling the small space along with her cries of pleasure as she arches up, urging him on. “Come on, babe,” he says, running his thumb over her clit. He bends his head and tongues her nipple until she bursts with a wail, turning her head and drowning it in Lance’s mouth.

It’s only moments before Lance is asleep on the quilts beside her. Gwen is comfortable and warm and heading in that direction herself when she hears voices in the outer room. Voices she recognizes as Arthur’s and Merlin’s.

Gwen grabs for clothes, finding her shirt but having to settle on Lance’s pants, which don’t quite zip over her curvy hips. She secures a place at the door where a piece of a slat is missing and manages to see Arthur and Merlin facing one another, looking decidedly unhappy.

“Freya said you ended things,” Arthur says, a look of confusion on his face.

Merlin nods. “It isn’t fair to her.”

“Merlin, I’ve told you…”

“I know, Arthur,” Merlin cuts him off. Gwen doesn’t think she’s ever seen Merlin looking so devastated, yet so determined. “Arthur, I’m breaking things off with you, too.”

It must be a night for firsts, because the look on Arthur’s face is unprecedented in its reflection of utter loss and vulnerability, and it simultaneously surprises Gwen and guts her. Being Arthur, Gwen expects him to cover it in a moment, but it remains, stark and unpleasant to see.

“I’m sorry,” Merlin tells him softly, his voice breaking. “I have to, Arthur. I just can’t do this anymore. The hiding, the denying, the lying…it’s not me.”

“And you think it’s _me_? You think _I_ like it?” Arthur asks, his voice stripped of all pretenses in a way that Gwen’s never heard it before, and she really, really thought she knew Arthur. But, of course, she thought she knew both of them—they all did.

Merlin shrugs hopelessly, and Arthur seems to collapse in on himself. He turns away from Merlin, and Gwen can see Merlin’s inner struggle to keep from going to him. She is again floored at the obvious emotion there that she’s never suspected before.

“I’m coming out to the others,” Merlin tells Arthur. “About being gay. I won’t bring you into this, but I have to start living my life, Arthur. Find a boyfriend. Be happy.”

Gwen is in a position to see Arthur’s face when Merlin cannot, and it’s wrecked, Merlin’s words daggers eviscerating him.

“But…I want you to know, Arthur. I—I love you. It wasn’t just a fling. I think you know that. For me, anyway.”

Arthur squeezes his eyes shut, tears escaping them, and Merlin turns to leave, and _goddammit, Arthur is letting him_! Gwen’s hand is on the doorknob, wondering if she can force them together somehow because it’s so fucking obvious that they’re in love.

“Merlin,” Arthur gasps out, and Gwen stills, and so does Merlin. “Please…please. Don’t go.” The words are choked out, despondent. Arthur’s head is bowed, his shoulders shaking. Merlin turns to look at him, lips pressed together.

“Arthur, I mean it. I just can’t do this anymore,” he says, voice wavering as a tear escapes to run down his cheek. “It hurts too much.”

Arthur’s hands are fists at his side. “Merlin…”

“Arthur, you’re making this too hard,” Merlin says on a sob, and Gwen finds that she’s crying, too.

“I know we’ve discussed it. I’m not trying to get you to change your mind,” Merlin breathes in shakily. “What is it?” he asks, when Arthur tries to speak.

“You. Can’t. Leave. Me.” Arthur manages to wrench out before completely dissolving, legs giving out beneath him as he collapses onto the edge of the bed. Gwen feels more like a voyeur now than she had looking at the photographs on Merlin’s computer. The stark pain on both men’s faces is evident to see, and witnessing the collapse of Arthur Pendragon, immensely proud and in no way accustomed to showing his emotions, is no small affair.

“Oh, Arthur,” Merlin sinks to his knees at the foot of the bed. “I don’t want to. There’s no other way. We knew it would end.” Merlin’s face is earnest and open, his eyes beseeching, while Arthur’s has crumpled like paper. “You’ll be all right, you’ll see,” Merlin tells him, reaching out to push blond hair from Arthur’s wet face.

Arthur shakes his head, eyes despondent, mouth a red gash of sorrow. Merlin clasps both of Arthur’s hands in his. “Yes, you will,” he tells Arthur softly. “You’ll become CEO of your father’s company and marry Sophia or some other stunning girl and have the perfect family.”

“And be miserable,” Arthur says on a desperate gasp, his voice quivering, and Merlin’s unable to maintain the façade. His lips tremble, and he hangs his head and stares at the floor. Gwen shifts in her hiding place, her heart aching for her friends. She wants to help them, but she doesn’t know how. She knows Arthur’s father enough to guess what his reaction would be to having a gay son. If Arthur were to come out of the closet, he would have to give up everything: family, support, and future. And Arthur has no one else, except for his sister and friends. She bites her lip, vowing that if Arthur makes that decision, she for one will stand behind him two hundred percent.

When Arthur runs his fingers through Merlin’s dark hair, Merlin lifts his head, looking at Arthur through wet lashes. He gets to his feet and climbs onto the bed beside him.

“You’ll be okay, Arthur,” Merlin tells him again.

“You’re putting on your brave face,” Arthur accuses, trying to smile. Behind Gwen, Lances snuffles in the blankets, and she prays Arthur and Merlin won’t hear him. She grabs the quilt at her feet and tosses it over Lance’s head before turning back to the crack in the door, pressing her eyes to it.

Merlin and Arthur are kissing—long, and eagerly, and Gwen wonders what she missed in the few seconds she turned away. For a moment she thinks perhaps they’ve made up, but then she realizes the kisses are frantically desperate, as though the two men are trying to swallow each other alive, or imprint themselves upon the other for memory’s sake. Arthur’s fists are in Merlin’s hair, his legs wrapped around Merlin’s body as though to trap him there. Merlin has Arthur’s face between his hands, holding it steady while he plunders Arthur’s mouth.

Arthur pulls Merlin off, holding him by the hair. “I love you,” he states fiercely into Merlin’s panting face. “I do, I do, never doubt it, you must know it,” and his lips are on Merlin’s again, violently taking. Gwen shuts her eyes, overwhelmed, and slides to the floor, listening to clothes being shed, sobs of anguished pleasure, whispered words of love.

Gwen turns away, covering her ears, and waits. After a time, she raises her head and listens, thinking she hears Arthur and Merlin move off the bed. She’s not sure how long it’s been as she’s sat thinking, trying to give her friends a modicum of privacy. She hears them dressing and opening a door, and gets to her feet, peeking out to see the bed rumpled and the room empty. She walks out and down the hall, into the living room, all the while tugging her shirt down to cover where Lance’s pants gape open.

Freya, Will, Elena, and Morgana sit on the sofa sharing a plate of brownies, tall glasses of milk resting on the coffee table in front of them.

“Did Merlin and Arthur come through here?” Gwen asks them.

Elena points to the kitchen, her mouth full.

Gwen finds them leaning against the counter talking to Gwaine, eating pizza with desultory faces. She pauses to rolls up the legs of Lance’s pants, which are about to trip her.

“What’s wrong with you two, anyway?” Gwaine’s asking. He licks sauce off the side of his hand and watches as Merlin looks at him as though he’s coming out of a fog.

“You really are a pig,” Gwen comments, hoping to pull Gwaine’s attention away from Arthur and Merlin, who probably don’t realize what all the crying and sex has done to their appearance, or how they’ve probably been ignoring Gwaine’s questions. Lucky for them most everyone is either drunk, high, or both.

“Oi, what’s got your panties in a wad, Miss High and Mighty? Or are you even wearing panties? Those look like Lance’s slacks.”

“They are,” Gwen replies cheekily, going for brash in her attempt to distract Gwaine, and reaching for a slice of pizza. “We’ve been fucking in my closet.” She realizes her mistake as soon as the words are out, but it’s too late, and her eyes go to Arthur’s before she can stop them, revealing her knowledge and ruining any last chance she has of claiming having been asleep in the closet while Arthur and Merlin had been talking and then fucking in her bed.

“Shit,” Merlin murmurs, inching closer to Arthur, obviously trying to lend support. Arthur’s face is ashen.

“Gwaine, get out,” Gwen says curtly, and Gwaine looks from one face to the other, pizza slice held in mid-air.

“What the fuck’s going on?” he asks, throwing the slice back in the box. His voice is so loud, it brings Percy and Freya into the room.

Gwen’s eyes are locked with Arthur’s, and she doesn’t know what to say. Finally, Arthur opens his mouth to speak.

“You heard.”

As though his words release her, Gwen’s gaze shifts to her bare feet. She nods. “I think you should come clean to all of us,” she tells him.

“Well that’s bloody easy for you to say,” Arthur barks, and Merlin softly murmurs something Gwen can’t quite make out.

“What’s going on?” Percy asks.

“I think I have an idea,” Freya says, her voice laced with venom.

“Frey,” Merlin sighs.

“This is only going to get worse, Merlin, you know that. I thought you were going to tell everyone,” Freya says, wrapping her arms around herself in a protective gesture Gwen recognizes as one she’s used herself in particularly hurtful situations.

“This isn’t how I was going to do it,” Merlin states between clenched teeth.

“We’re all friends,” Gwen states, looking at Arthur again and almost jumping when she finds his eyes still pinned on her. “Arthur, we’re not your father,” she reminds him.

“God, no,” Gwaine objects, bringing smiles to a couple of faces.

Arthur looks to Merlin, then, giving him a pleading look, then a small nod.

Merlin takes a breath. “Well, it’s just that…Arthur and I, we…we’ve been involved for some time now.”

“Involved in what?” Gwaine asks, leaning against the counter. Will, Morgana, Elyan, and Elena have crowded into the kitchen, and Elena elbows Gwaine in the side.

“Involved with each other, you dope!”

“So?” Percy asks. _Sweet Percy. Gotta love him,_ Gwen thinks.

Arthur’s eyes widen. “What do you mean, _so_?”

“Arthur, we just watched you make out with Lance. What’s the big deal?”

“That was a game!”

“But if we were a bunch of homophobes, would we even _play_ that game?” Percy asks reasonably.

“Yeah,” Elyan pipes up. “Besides, haven’t we all had a threesome at one time or another? I know I have.”

“With two _girls_ , yeah,” Will says, and Elyan colors.

Gwen doesn’t even want to go there. She’ll deal with her brother later.

Arthur drags his hands through his hair. “I can’t come out. I’ll lose everything. My father…my place in Pendragon Industries…”

“Is what you have worth keeping?” Gwen asks quietly. “A father who won’t let you be happy? A company you really don’t even want to run? Because you won’t lose us, Arthur. We’re your friends, and that’s never going to change.”

Arthur looks to Gwaine, as though he’s the definitive answer on this. It’s obvious to Gwen that Gwaine hasn’t suspected a thing about Merlin’s or Arthur’s sexuality up to this point, and he’s a bit floored at the announcement. His mouth has fallen open, and he’s staring at his two friends as though he’s trying to fit together a particularly complicated puzzle. Gwen can see the pleading look in Arthur’s eyes, and she prays that Gwaine doesn’t mess this up. She wants to lean over and give the dolt a kick—the silence in the room weighs heavily on them all.

Finally, Gwaine pushes off from the counter and approaches Arthur, stopping to stand before him. Gwen knows how Gwaine’s opinion matters to Arthur, even though Arthur would never admit it. They were roommates in uni, and they play on a footie league together. Gwaine’s never taken a verbal stance one way or another on homosexuality, and Gwen isn’t sure what to expect, because Gwaine’s always been macho and bold. It’s obvious by the hush in the room that no one else is either, least of all, Arthur, who stiffens visibly at his friend’s approach.

When Gwaine wraps his hand around Arthur’s neck, pulls him in, and kisses him wetly on the mouth, Gwen forgets to breathe for a moment, and Elena gasps. Leon, who has just entered the room and has no idea what’s going on, says, “Bloody hell!” very loudly.

And it doesn’t stop there—encircling Arthur’s waist with his arm, Gwaine pulls the shocked man in, tilting Arthur’s head back, and proceeds to snog him as though his life depends on it.

If Gwen were a man, she would grab her cock and wank off right there in the kitchen.

Merlin is only inches from this spectacle and doesn’t seem to know what to think. Gwen imagines he’d be furious if he weren’t so damned pleased at Gwaine’s obvious seal of approval.

When Gwaine lets Arthur go, he turns to Merlin, grinning widely.

Merlin says, “Thanks, mate, but touch him again, and I’ll slice your balls off.”

Gwaine lets out a bark of laughter, tosses his glorious mane of hair, and steps back. “I now pronounce you openly boyfriends.”

Elena growls low in her throat and tugs Gwaine over to her. “That was fucking hot!” she exclaims, wrapping herself around him.

Arthur’s a bit wild-eyed, and Merlin leads him into the living room, pushing him onto the couch.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” Arthur says.

“You’ve already done part it,” Merlin tells him, rubbing Arthur’s back soothingly.

“You’re a coward, Arthur Pendragon,” Freya accuses, coming to stand before him.

“Frey, please,” Merlin says quietly.

“Stop trying to spare him,” Freya shouts. “You’re always doing that! Always trying to make things easier for him! Why does he need things to be easier? He’s got fucking money coming out of his arse, he’s so rich. Why should we feel sorry for him? He’s got you, goddammit!” She lets out a sob, and Merlin goes to her, wraps his arms around her. She tries to push him away, but he won’t let her, holding her until she finally gives in, sobbing into his arms. Arthur just looks sad.

“Wasn’t it good between us, Merlin? Wasn’t it good?” Freya wails, and Merlin’s face is pained.

Gwen leans against the wall, biting her lip, unsure of what to do next. After a moment, she approaches the man on the couch.

“Arthur, I’ll come with you when you tell your father, if that’ll help,” she finally offers.

Arthur raises his eyes to look at her and gives her a small smile. “Thanks, Gwen. I should do this on my own, I think.”

“He won’t do it,” Freya says from the folds of Merlin’s shirt. “He’ll back out! He’s a coward, Merlin, and he’ll only hurt you.”

“Look who’s here?” Percy says loudly, coming into the room.

“Hi, everyone!” Sophia tosses her purse onto the table. “I managed to get off work and thought I’d join the party! What did I miss?” She runs to Arthur, hitching up her tiny skirt and straddling his lap. “But don’t you look highly snoggable, Mr. Pendragon!” She says, kissing his nose before latching onto his mouth, fingers already working on the buttons of his shirt.

Arthur grasps her shoulders, pushing her back.

“What’s the matter?” Sophia asks, pouting. “Are you feeling shy? Come on,” She slides off him, grabbing his hand. “We’ll go to another room, then.”

Gwen watches Arthur’s and Merlin’s faces as they stand, their arms around Sophia and Freya, wondering how she could have possibly missed these signals in the past. It’s as if an electric current passes between them. Freya obvioiusly feels it and moves away.

“Merlin,” Sophia huffs impatiently, “unless you’re in the mood for a threesome, I suggest you back off.”

She turns to Arthur. “Arthur, when I tell you my good news, you’re going to drag me into that bedroom!” Sophia tugs at his sleeve. “I’ve been talking to Daddy, and I’ve convinced him to go with your Father’s company, isn’t that great? He says we’re as good as married, so he might as well invest in the family.”

Arthur looks as though he’s been stabbed. Sophia succeeds in pulling him down the hall, and Freya turns to Merlin, giving him a triumphant look.

“God, I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes,” Gwaine mutters, and Gwen nods.

“He needs to grow some gonads,” Will says with disgust.

“What do you know about it, you tosser?” Gwaine turns on him. “You haven’t any idea what his old man’s like! Or the fact that Uther’s been trying to get his talons into Sophia’s father forever! Why do you think he introduced Arthur to her?”

“Come on now,” Leon interjects reasonably. “This isn’t helping anything.”

Merlin moves away from Freya, taking a few steps down the hall toward the now closed bedroom door. Gwen bites her lip, the tension in the room overwhelming.

“This may take some time, Merlin. Arthur is going to have to slowly make adjustments,” Percy tells him, putting a hand on Merlin’s shoulder.

“Bullshit!” Freya spits. “He’s never going to do it, and you know it! He’ll do as his daddy wants him to do. Stop torturing yourself, Merlin! These delusions aren’t healthy.”

“Would you please give it a rest, Freya?” Morgana asks, annoyed. “Arthur knows his own mind, and I have to believe that in the end he’ll do the right thing. Come here, Merlin, sit with me on the couch.”

Merlin obeys, curling up beside Morgana and resting his head on her shoulder. Nobody speaks for a while, and Elena turns on the telly, switching channels until she finds something mindless to watch.

A screech brings Merlin to his feet and Gwen thinks for a moment it was the television when a loud thump follows and then the bedroom door opens and Sophia flies down the hall like a screaming banshee. She comes to a stop in front of Merlin, slapping him squarely in the face with the palm of her hand. The sound is obscenely loud in the quiet room.

“You mother-fucking faggot!” she yells before Morgana gets between them and Percy grabs Sophia by the arms, pulling her away. Freya jumps up from her place on the floor and runs to Merlin’s side, her hand fluttering to his reddened cheek.

The next thing Gwen sees makes her blink twice. Lance emerges from the back bedroom wearing only her skirt, his hair standing on end, and blood all over his hands. “Somebody get me a towel!” he yells. Before Gwen can make a move, Gwaine heads that way, and Merlin shoves Freya unceremoniously onto the couch and rushes after him.

Sophia shouts obscenities and promises to do unmentionable things to both Merlin’s and Arthur’s privates until Gwen threatens to gag her if she doesn’t shut the hell up.

Leon mixes Sophia a strong drink and he and Elena sit down to commiserate with her and try to buy Arthur a little time before Sophia can call her father and lets the cat out of the bag.

Gwen tries to stay out of the way, but from what she can glean from Lance, Sophia evidently flew into a rage after Arthur told her about him and Merlin, which awoke Lance where he had been asleep in the closet. At that point, Sophia either hit or pushed Arthur, who hit his head on something and is bleeding all over Gwen’s bedroom floor. From where Gwen stands just outside the door, she can hear Merlin’s worried murmurs mixed with Gwaine’s questions, interspersed with a word or two from Arthur, who is conscious, but confused. It’s decided that they will drive him to hospital, because if nothing else, he’ll need stitches.

“Where the hell are my pants, Gwen?” Lance asks frantically. “I can’t go to A & E wearing your skirt!”

“Oh!” Gwen quickly steps out of them and hands them over, and he climbs out of her skirt. When they’re sorted, and Lance has found his shirt among the blankets in the closet, Merlin and Gwaine have Arthur on his feet, the towel pressed to the side of his head.

“Don’t worry,” Gwaine says, probably addressing the horror on Gwen’s face, because _shit! That’s a lot of blood!_ “head wounds always bleed a lot.”

“Fuck, Arthur, fuck!” Merlin says, worry evident in his voice as he helps him through the door. Gwen scrambles for her purse and keys, then remembers she needs shoes, and begins looking for those, too. Morgana blanches when she sees her brother, and Gwaine repeats the information about head wounds bleeding a lot. Freya, for once, remains thankfully silent.

Not so Sophia. At the sight of all the blood, she begins to sob. “Oh, my God! This is your fault, Merlin!” She jumps to her feet, knocking Leon back and climbing over the coffee table in her rush to get to Merlin. Merlin’s eyes grow wide, but he doesn’t let go of his hold on Arthur.

“Get away, you crazed cow!” Gwaine yells, trying to shield his friends as Sophia barrels toward them, arms flailing as she wails about her boyfriend, arse fuckers, and lost opportunities.  Arthur sags, his eyes rolling back in his head.

“Fuck this, call an ambulance!” Merlin shouts to anyone who will listen. Percy tackles Sophia, landing on top of her on the floor, and pandemonium ensues as everyone looks for their respective mobiles.

“Shit—I just had mine…”

“Well, fuck it!”

“Bloody hell!”

Gwen suddenly colors, remembering her land line, and grabs up the phone, watching as Merlin and Gwaine carefully place Arthur on the floor and apply the clean towel Lance hands them to his head. Arthur’s eyes flutter. He’s a mess: his open shirt and slacks splashed in vivid red blood, and sunny blond hair matted to one side of his head with it. He reaches out a hand, and Merlin clasps it, bringing it to his mouth and holding it there.

“The ambulance is on its way,” Gwen informs them, kneeling beside Arthur. “Oh, my God, Arthur…” his face is so pale—even his lips have lost their color.

“I’ll go downstairs and wait for the ambulance,” Morgana announces, moving on visibly shaking legs. “Everything’s going to be all right, Arthur,” she tells her brother firmly before disappearing out the door.

“There’s a gash the size of China on the side of his head,” Gwaine tells Gwen, and she winces. In a sudden surge of anger, she rises and goes to Sophia where she’s still fighting Percy and kicks the girl right in her bum, which has always been a bit on the large side, in Gwen’s opinion.

“OW! Bloody fuck, what the hell?” Sophia screams. “You evil cow!”

“You’re a bitch, and Arthur’s well rid of you!” Gwen yells, pointing at her with a shaking finger.

Sophia splutters. “Let me up, you stupid oaf, so I can beat the hell out of that slag!”

“I don’t think so,” Percy answers.

“Just throw her out, Percy,” Gwen says tiredly. “I don’t want her here. Unless maybe Arthur wants to have her arrested for assault…”

Sophia’s eyes grow wide. “Assault! That sodomizing jackass had better not, unless he wants this all over the newspaper in the morning!”

Percy stands, yanking Sophia to her feet.

“Come on, I’ll call you a cab.”

“My purse!” Sophia complains, and they stop to get it.

“I hope you have brain damage,” Sophia spits at Arthur on the way out. “You don’t deserve to run Pendragon Industries.”

Merlin, still clutching Arthur’s hand, lets go and jumps up, following Percy and Sophia into the hall. He plows into the latter until she’s flush with the wall, his forearm pressed just under her chin.

“Take that back, you filthy-mouthed bitch!” he yells, his face purple with rage.

Percy puts a hand on Merlin’s trembling back. “Come on, Merlin,” he says softly. “She’s not worth it.”

Sophia gasps under Merlin’s intense glare, her lips quivering.

“Take it back!” Merlin knocks into Sophia, hard, and her head hits the wall. Terrified, Sophia’s eyes roll about like a crazed horse, and Gwen spitefully thinks she’d like to get it all on video and post it on youtube.

“Mate, Arthur needs you,” Percy says softly, glancing over his shoulder to where Arthur is indeed very agitated and looking Merlin’s way. Outside, sirens can be heard in the distance. Merlin is breathing hard, almost in tears. “Come on, he needs you,” Percy urges again, and Merlin lets go of Sophia, who sags to the floor, turning immediately to go back to Arthur. Percy takes advantage of the moment and drags Sophia down the back stairs.

“Good riddance, bitch,” Gwen says under her breath.

 

At the hospital, no one is allowed to go back with Arthur, who keeps slipping in and out of consciousness. Morgana harangues the nurses while everyone else waits in a room to the side. Gwen isn’t purposely listening to Merlin’s and Freya’s conversation, but she hears every word of it because Merlin’s sitting beside Gwen and Freya’s not even trying to keep her voice down.

“Merlin, I thought everything between us was fine,” Freya beseeches.

“It wasn’t, though,” Merlin says tiredly. He’s resting his head on the tiled wall, his arms limp at his sides. Freya is curled toward him, facing him and Gwen, where she sits holding Lance’s hand. “I’ve been with Arthur all along, Frey. I’ve lied to you all along. I’m sorry, but can’t you see? I can’t be with you anymore. Whether Arthur and I stay together or not, I can’t pretend to be what I’m not.”

Freya begins to cry softly, and Gwen wants to feel sorry for her, she really does, only she just can’t. Freya is such a doormat. She always hooks up with people who can’t return her feelings. The last time it was Gilly, and it had been so obvious that he just wasn’t into her, but she’d hung on him like a weedy vine until he’d finally had to spell it out for her, and then she’d moped and stopped eating, telling anyone who would listen how awful Gilly was to her. Gwen just doesn’t have patience for people like that.

Gwaine paces the floor like a caged animal. Percy flings down the third magazine he’s gone through and rubs his hands over his face. Leon hangs his head and stares at the floor, while Elena keeps her eyes closed.

When Uther Pendragon bursts through the double doors demanding to know where he son is, everyone in the room jumps. Uther’s eyes zero in on Gwaine, whom he knows. “Just exactly what is going on, Mr. Greene? I got a message from Sophia’s father, and what he said simply couldn’t be correct.”

“If he told you that his insane daughter knocked a hole in Arthur’s head, it’s true,” Gwaine tells him, his face angry. “Arthur’s getting stitches, and he’s lost a lot of blood.”

“That doesn’t make any sense!” Uther scoffs. “Why would Sophia do such a thing? And the story I got was crazier than that!”

Gwen stands up, wanting to ward off this conversation before it starts. “Mr. Pendragon,” she says, walking toward him.

  
“Gwen, how are you,” Uther acknowledges her. She was never his favorite of Arthur’s girlfriends, but he’s always been polite to her.

“I’m very worried about Arthur. Will you see what you can find out?”

Uther gives her a curt nod and strides toward the nurses’ station.

A squat, harried doctor comes into the room, but he’s headed for a tired-looking woman sitting in the corner who’s been there ever since Gwen and the others walked in. Gwen can hear Uther’s voice all the way across the expanse of the busy hospital floor, and she catches a glimpse of his stiff back when the bustle of people parts for a moment. She sees him taking off his suit jacket, and minutes later, Morgana joins them.

“Father is giving blood,” she tells them, when they gather round her for information. “He became irate at the very idea of Arthur having anyone else’s. I don’t think he realizes that it may have already happened, or perhaps he thinks if they pump enough Pendragon into him, it will negate everything else.” She shakes her head. “I’ll let the doctors deal with him.” She bites her lip. “Arthur had to have twenty-six stitches.”

“Oh, my God,” Elena puts her hand to her mouth. “That little bitch! I am going to beat the snot out of her!”

“You’re going to have to wait in line,” Gwen tells her, anger coiling in her belly. Merlin’s face is a frozen tableau of shock an misery, and Gwen sees Lance take his hand and squeeze it, rubbing it gently with the other.

“Sounds like Uther doesn’t believe Sophia’s story at present,” Gwaine states, scratching the back of his head.

“That’s probably for the best,” Percy puts in. “It’d be no good for him to be in there shouting at Arthur.”

“I’m going to take Freya home,” Will announces, and everyone turns to see him with his arm wrapped around the small woman’s shoulders. “Give me a call, will you Leon? Let me know how things go.”

Leon agrees, and Gwen sees Freya’s eyes lingering on Merlin as Will directs her away, but Merlin has already turned his attention back to the group.

“I think she’s always suspected,” Merlin surprises Gwen by murmuring. “but she’d be willing to ignore it if I’d stay with her.”

“That’s no way to live,” Gwen tells him. “For either of you.”

“Six months,” Merlin says after a moment, staring at his lap. “I shouldn’t have let it go on so long. I used her. As a beard.”

“Then she let herself be,” Gwen tells him. “If what you say is true, she wanted to be.”

Merlin doesn’t reply.

It’s another forty-five minutes before Uther appears, looking surprised to find them all still there, as though the concept of having concerned friends is beyond him. “They’re admitting him due to concussion. I’ve gotten him a private room, of course.”

When no one moves, he says, “There’s really no need for you to stay.”

“I’m not leaving,” Merlin says too loudly, and Gwen puts her arm around his shoulders.

Uther frowns. “Well, I’m going home for a shower. I’m going to call Sophia’s father and see if I can clarify that message, and then I’ll be back.”

“Father, please don’t upset Arthur when he wakes,” Morgana says.

“Why would I do that?” Uther asks before walking out the door.

“Why indeed?” Morgana sighs before wilting into a chair.

The group waits until a nurse informs Morgana that she can go back and see her brother, and then they have to content themselves with her assurances that Arthur is doing much better and is even harassing the doctor about wanting to leave.

“I’ve told his physician that Father may be irate when he returns and it might be best to keep him from Arthur’s room tonight,” Morgana tells them.

“That’s brilliant, Morgana,” Gwen breathes sincerely. “I’ve been really worried about how Arthur will take it in his condition.” She shoots a look at Merlin who is standing at the corner of the room nearest the exit to the hall, as though he has to be in closest proximity to Arthur as possible.

A tired looking doctor appears a bit later and says, “Who’s Merlin? He wants to see someone by that name, and won’t shut up until he does.”

Merlin’s eyes light up and he hurries after the poor fellow, sending the rest of the group a delighted grin over his shoulder that none of them can help mirroring. The two miss Uther’s arrival by seconds, and it’s a good thing, because the words that come to Gwen’s mind when she sees the older man are _raging bull_. He hasn’t changed out of his suit, and his expensive slacks are uncharacteristically wrinkled. He’s breathing heavily, and the top five buttons of his pristine, white oxford shirt are unbuttoned in a way that Gwen is certain he would never consciously allow in public. His tawny hair barely touched by grey appears to have been raked through many times by restless fingers.

“Morgana!” Uther focuses his fiery eyes upon his daughter, who stands immediately. “Did you know about this?”

“Know about what, Father?” she asks neutrally, admirably cool under the frightening gaze of her father, Gwen thinks.

“Don’t play stupid with me!” Uther shouts, and Gwaine, Lance, Percy, and Leon simultaneously get to their feet.

“Father, calm down, your heart…” Morgana says calmly, and Uther turns a deeper shade of red that borders closely on purple. Gwen becomes alarmed at the baiting, for she’s pretty sure Uther Pendragon doesn’t have a heart condition, and then Uther suddenly explodes with wrath, demanding Morgana inform him how long she’s known her brother’s been buggering a man. Heads turn as every person within shouting distance becomes aware that something is taking place in the waiting area.

Gwen then realizes it’s probably been Morgana’s intention all along to get her father this worked up when two security guards immediately make their way over and Uther really blows his top, shouting that he’s a Pendragon, and then Arthur’s doctor is summoned by the nurses’ station. Uther is then escorted from the building, raging about his rights and the fact that he gives annually to the hospital as a charity.

Finally, the group of friends feels they can relax.

“You’re going to have hell to pay tomorrow,” Gwen tells Morgana dolefully.

“That’s tomorrow,” Morgana replies tiredly, leaning her head on Gwen’s shoulder. “I’ll worry about that later.”

“How very _Gone with the Wind_ of you,” Gwaine says with a smile, and Morgana kicks him on the shin.

At that moment, Elyan and Elena return with two trays of coffees, take one look at the exhausted group, and Elyan asks, “Did we miss something?”

When Merlin comes back from seeing Arthur, he’s content that Arthur is going to sleep the rest of the night, due to something they’ve given to help with the pain. Gwen suggests that Merlin come home with her and stay the night, and she promises to bring him back in the morning.

“I’ve just had a shouting phone call from Father,” Morgana says, returning from having a smoke outside and pulling her cardigan closer around her. Gwen thinks it feels like the air conditioning is on full blast in the hospital despite the mild weather outside.

“He says that Arthur is not to return to work ever again.” Morgana sighs. “I really hate that man sometimes.”

Gwen’s grabs her purse and looks around at everyone else yawning, stretching, and preparing to leave. Elena snuffles sleepily into Gwaine’s shoulder, and he pulls her more tightly to him as he gulps down coffee with his other hand.

“I’ll bring Merlin back in the morning,” Gwen tells Morgana. “We’ll meet you here and take Arthur back to his. We can stay with him and help him work things out,” She takes a long sip from her own coffee. She is totally wiped out and can’t wait to get to bed.

“Sounds good. Thanks, everyone.” Morgana hugs her frlends one by one, and they all leave the hospital, Lance returning to Gwen’s with Gwen and Merlin.

Lance helpfully changes the sheets on the guest bed where Gwaine and Elena had fooled around earlier so Merlin can go to sleep there. Merlin sinks thankfully into the bed and is snoring before Lance can shut the door. Gwen takes a quick shower and then changes the sheets on her own bed. As Lance cuddles up next to her under the duvet, he murmurs, “It was really disorienting waking up in the closet with all that commotion going on in here. And then I couldn’t find my pants…had to wear your skirt.”

Gwen giggles into her pillow. “Sorry about that. Arthur and Merlin had this big break-up scene in here, and then Arthur didn’t want Merlin to go, and they came out to everybody, and Gwaine kissed Arthur, and Freya fell apart, and then Sophia arrived and dragged Arthur back here…”

“Wait a minute,” Lance interrupts, “Gwaine kissed Arthur?”

“It was an ‘I approve of your homosexuality’ kiss,” Gwen tells him. “Anyway, what in the hell did Sophia hit Arthur with for him to need all those stitches?”

 “She shoved him backwards and his head hit the corner of the glass table, breaking it.  A jagged piece was buried in Arthur’s head, Morgana said.”

“Oh, my God!” Gwen shudders. “Poor Arthur. You know, I never liked Sophia.”

“I didn’t either,” Lance admits, pulling Gwen closer to him. “You’re the only nice girl Arthur ever dated.”

“And the only one his father didn’t approve of,” Gwen points out. Slowly, she relaxes into Lance. She hears him begin to snore just before she falls asleep.

She awakens to the smell of food cooking. Merlin’s awake and dressed, eager to get to the hospital, so Gwen hurries Lance along, and they all sit down to the eggs, toast, and coffee Merlin’s made for them.

“I phoned the hospital and the nurse said Arthur slept well,” Merlin tells them. “I just hope his father stays away from him today. I feel so badly about the whole thing.”

“It certainly isn’t your fault,” Lance says, biting into his toast.

“I kind of forced him into coming out,” Merlin says.

“No,” Gwen corrects him. “You were doing what you needed to do. Arthur didn’t have to come out if he didn’t want to.”

“He just had to in order not to lose me,” Merlin points out glumly. “I pushed his hand.”

  
“It was time, Merlin,” Gwen says. “Don’t take this on yourself. You have nothing to feel guilty about, and it certainly isn’t your fault that Sophia hurt Arthur like she did. And that Uther is a homophobic dick with a heart of stone.”

Merlin has nothing to say to that, because it’s true. When everyone’s finished eating, they rinse the dishes and head for the hospital where Arthur is dressed and waiting, Morgana at his side filling out the necessary papers.

“How are you feeling?” Gwen asks softly.

“My head is killing me,” Arthur moans. He has a bandage under the hair at the top right side of his head. His face is drawn, and there’s a tightness about his mouth. “God, it hurts worse than it did yesterday.”

“The doctor’s given me a prescription for some rather strong pain medication he can take for the first couple of days,” Morgana tells them, turning away from the nurses’ station. “I’ll stop and have it filled on the way to his flat.”

That said, Lance goes to bring the car around, and they wheel Arthur outside, per hospital rules. Merlin helps Arthur to his feet and into the front seat of the car. The nurse helpfully hands him a plastic bag.

“Just in case,” she says. “There might be a bit of motion sickness on the way home.”

Thankfully, there isn’t, and within the hour they have Arthur in his pyjamas and in bed. Merlin sits beside him, holding his hand.

“Where is Morgana with those meds?” Arthur moans into Merlin’s arm. “I can feel each and every beat of my heart through my head.”

“Poor baby,” Merlin kisses Arthur’s palm. “She texted me that there’s an awful line. She’ll be here as soon as she can.”

Arthur squeezes his eyes shut. Gwen continues puttering about the bedroom, pulling the curtains and tidying up. She brings Arthur some fresh water before seeking out Lance where he’s putting together a stew in the kitchen. A wave of fondness washes over her, and she wraps her arms around him, resting her chin on his shoulder.

“You’re such a good man,” she says.

“Save it until you taste this,” Lance chuckles.

The door buzzer sounds, and Gwen goes to get it. It’s Will, his arms full of grocery bags. “Thought I’d brings some things,” he says, edging through the door and past Gwen.

“That’s so sweet of you!” Gwen smiles. “Is Freya all right?”

“Yeah. I stayed with her last night, but she pretty much kicked me out this morning, telling me to see about Arthur. I called Morgana, and she gave me an update.” He begins unloading things on the table. “I hope Merlin didn’t mind that I left like I did.”

“I’m sure he was glad you were taking care of Freya,” Gwen tells him, putting away the milk and eggs.

Will shrugs. “I just thought someone had to.”

“You like her, don’t you,” Gwen guesses, and Will colors. “Sorry, but I’ve sort of always thought you did.”

“I hope it wasn’t obvious,” Will whispers, and Gwen shakes her head.

“It wasn’t. Don’t worry.”

“I feel badly for her. She loves Merlin, and this is hard on her.”

“I know it is,” Gwen says, even though Freya annoys her, and she isn’t sure she wants Will mixed up with her. She’ll have to have a talk with him about that later. Lance has often told her that she doesn’t have to be the mother of the group, but she just can’t help it. She’s a nurturer by nature, and that’s simply the way it is. She wants her friends to be happy.

When all the groceries are put away, Will announces that he’ll pop in and say hello to Arthur and then leave. Gwen gives him a hug and a kiss on the cheek before he does, telling him he’s a good person and she loves him. Will turns bright red, but seems pleased nonetheless.

Lance holds out a spoon full of stew for Gwen to taste. She tries not to make a face, because it reminds her a bit of the way her gym locker used to smell. “Needs salt,” she says, turning away quickly.

After Will leaves, Gwen takes a seat at the bottom of Arthur’s bed. Arthur rests in the crook of Merlin’s arm, the unhurt side of his head pressed to Merlin’s side. Merlin has his shoes off and is propped against the pillows, his legs crossed at the ankles and his arm around Arthur’s shoulder.

“That was great of Will to bring groceries over,” Merlin says for Arthur, because Arthur’s face is a frown of pain, and it’s obvious he doesn’t want to talk until he has some relief.

“Yes. He spent last night at Freya’s,” Gwen tells him.

“I’m glad,” Merlin replies, kissing the top of Arthur’s head.

“Lance has made some truly awful stew,” Gwen whispers. “I’ll have to sneak you something else later, Arthur.” She pats his leg, and the corner of his mouth turns up in a smile.

They hear the flat door open and close.

“That’ll be Morgana,” Gwen says brightly, giving Arthur’s leg a squeeze. She stands and goes into the hall.

“Thank goodness. Poor Arthur is in so much pain,” she takes the bottle of pills from Morgana, scanning the directions as she heads back to the bedroom, Morgana at her heels.

Morgana settles in on the other side of Arthur, petting his arm as Gwen shakes out a couple of pills and hands them over along with the glass of water that’s been waiting on the table.

Merlin helps Arthur to sit up and take them, and he drinks some water before sinking gratefully back down.

“Feel like such a baby,” he groans.

“I’m sure having your head sliced open and then sewn back up hurt like hell,” Lance says from the doorway. “We’re here to take care of you. Don’t worry about it.”

“Thanks,” Arthur croaks. His eyes slant toward his sister. “Father?”

“He came by the hospital last night,” she tells him. “Sophia went crying to her daddy, as we knew she would, and of course he called Uther, who didn’t understand the message. He left the hospital and then came back later in a rage. I’m afraid you’ll be looking for a new job, sweetie.” She carefully brushes a piece of hair out of his eyes with a finger.

“Thought as much,” Arthur says. “Was it bad? The…rage?” He asks, wincing as he tries to get more comfortable on the bed.

“Morgana sicced the hospital security on him,” Gwen tells him proudly. “It was great.” They sit for a while in silence.

After a time, Arthur’s eyes start to get foggy. “Are you feeling a bit better?” Gwen asks him, and Arthur smiles loopily. Merlin laughs and hugs him closer. Watching the two of them together, Gwen again wonders how she never saw it before—this connection. This love. It radiates off them. How in the hell had they hidden it for so long?

“Looks like they gave you some good stuff.”

Arthur squeezes his eyes shut and then opens them again. “Ev’rythin’s getting little hazy.” He sighs. “Feels good.”

Merlin grins at Morgana over Arthur’s head. Morgana kicks off her shoes, leans against the pillows, and closes her eyes. Gwen leans onto her side, head on a throw pillow. Lance has gone back into the kitchen, and sounds of pots clanking can be heard every now and then.

“Sing me a song, Merrrr-lin,” Arthur slurs.

“A song?” Merlin asks. “What song?”

“Any song. You have a…lurvly voice.”

Merlin laughs. “Lurvly, huh? Well, then. Hm.” He begins singing, “ _Hush little baby, don’t say a word, Mama’s gonna buy you a mockingbird_ ,”

Arthur’s eyes fly open. “You’re nodda _girl_ , Merlin!”

“Okay, okay,” Merlin amends, “ _Papa’s gonna buy you a mockingbird, and if that mockingbird won’t sing, Ma-Papa’s gonna buy you a diamond ring…_ He goes on singing until Arthur is well and asleep, and Gwen notices that Morgana is, too, and she isn’t sure if Merlin dozes off next or if she does. All she knows is that everything feels good and safe until suddenly there’s Uther’s loud voice and shouting and it isn’t anymore.

“I’d like you to leave, Sir,” Lance is saying, louder than Gwen’s ever heard Lance say anything.

“Who are you to tell me to leave?” Uther’s voice booms through the hallway. “This is my son’s flat, and I will come and go as I please!”

Gwen glances at the others on the bed, her body going tense. Morgana’s eyes are open, and she’s already sitting up. Merlin and Arthur are wrapped around one another, and Merlin’s blinking awake, looking disoriented.

Gwen grabs up her phone and texts Gwaine, whom she hopes spent the night at Elena’s, who lives close by. Morgana heads for the living room, and Merlin unwinds himself from Arthur.

“Is that Uther I heard?” he asks Gwen.

“Unfortunately, yes. He probably has a key.”

Arthur stirs and grabs at Merlin’s arm. “Mer-in, where y’goin?”

“It’s okay, Arthur,” Merlin tells him, giving his hand a squeeze. “I’ll be right back. Gwen’s here with you.”

Morgana’s level voice can be heard from the living area, obviously trying to reason with Uther. Gwen hears Lance add something.

“Enough!” Uther shouts.

“Father, you can’t go in there!” Morgana insists as Uther plows his way into the bedroom. Merlin still holds Arthur’s hand in his, and he looks up, meeting Uther’s thunderous gaze.

“I assume you are the one who has turned my son into a raging faggot,” he says, pointing at Merlin.

Arthur struggles to his elbows. “Father? What yer yellin’ for? Hurts m’head.”

Uther glances down at Arthur with his bandaged head and childish frown. He looks again at Merlin. “I want you out of here!” he fumes.

“Don’ yellit Mer’in,” Arthur says, tugging at Merlin’s sleeve until Merlin has to put his knee on the mattress to keep from falling onto the bed. “I love ‘im. Com’ere Mer’in.” Arthur opens his arms, and Gwen’s mouth quirks into a smile, because what is Merlin supposed to do but fall into them?

“Father, please leave,” Morgana says shortly. “Arthur’s on some very powerful pain meds, and he needs his rest. Yelling at him about whom he loves when he’s in this condition isn’t going to do anything but agitate him.”

Uther turns on Morgana. “You make it sound so simple. _Whom he loves_ indeed, as though it isn’t an abomination. I want everyone out of here, and I will take care of my son!”

There’s pounding on the front door, and Lance returns a moment later with a rumpled and hostile-looking Gwaine, followed by Elena, who is still wearing her pyjamas.

“You just don’t give up, do you?” Gwaine asks Uther stonily. “Do we have to call the fucking police?”

“Don’t you curse at me, young man!” Uther snaps.

“Oh, I’ll curse at you, and worse,” Gwaine begins shoving his sleeves up his well-muscled arms.

“Gwaine, you gonna hit m’dad?” Arthur asks, eyes blurry and blinking furiously. “That’s bad! An' I made a rhyme!” He smiles widely. Gwaine pauses to stare at him, confused.

“I’m calling the police,” Lance states, opening his mobile. “Don’t hit him, Gwaine. You don’t want any trouble.”

Uther huffs. “For God’s sake, I have a right to be in my son’s flat!”

“You are causing a disturbance!” Morgana insists. “I want you away from my sick brother.”

“You haven’t heard the last of this,” Uther promises, striding out of the room and slamming the front door behind him. Everyone looks at each other.

“B-i-i-ig noise,” Arthur says, nodding. “Ouch,” he winces. “My head hurts.”

“Stop moving it, silly,” Merlin tells him before sinking back onto the pillows with a relieved sigh.

An hour later, the friends gather in Arthur’s living room, sipping tea.

“That medication sure is strong,” Lance comments, putting his feet up on the table.  “Arthur’s acting like a three-year-old.”

Morgana raises a brow. “And the difference is…?”

“I want some of it,” Gwaine announces, flopping onto the couch.

“Yeah, so you can mature a little,” Elena winks at him.

“Oi. You wound me.” He lays his head on her knee.

Percy and Leon have joined them, and everyone decides to camp out at Arthur’s until he’s well enough to fend for himself against his father.

Leon has brought his laptop and started on a CV for Arthur. It’s coming along pretty well, what with everyone helping with dates and previous job experience.

“I have an uncle who knows a lot of people in the business world,” Percy says, perched on the large, black, leather chair above where Leon’s sitting cross-legged on the floor. “I can give him a call about Arthur.”

“That’s so sweet, Percy,” Morgana smiles at him, and Percy ducks his head shyly.

Gwen points to Percy and mouths to Morgana _good kisser_. Morgana raises her brows and smiles, blushing a little, to Gwen’s delight. She’s never considered the possibility of Morgana and Percy as a couple until just then, and she thinks it’s a good one. Lance reads her mind and stabs at her with his bare toe. She frowns and sticks her tongue out at him.

Will brings everyone a late lunch, since Lance’s stew is inedible. “Chinese,” he announces, setting the bags down on the dining room table. There’s a general mad rush to get to it, and amid the scramble a couple of thumps come from the bedroom.

“I think Arthur’s up,” Lance says, looking that way, half an eggroll already in his mouth.

“I’ll see about him,” Gwaine offers, being closest to the bedroom. Gwen hears him greet Arthur. “Well, hello, big boy! Gotta pee? Ow! Okay, okay, this way.” Gwaine guides a rather befuddled and frowning Arthur to the bathroom. “I think he’s coming out of his euphoric stage and entering his grouchy one!” Gwaine calls to them with a grin as they disappear into the bathroom. “Oh, come on, Arty. Ouch! Quit hitting me! Merlin! Come hold your boyfriend’s male bits while he pees! There’s only so much I’m willing to do, here. Arthur, goddammit! You’re pissing on my feet, mate!”

Merlin laughs, puts down his box of noodles, and heads that way. Gwaine comes out grumbling, wiping his feet off with a wash cloth. He strips out of his jeans and takes them to Arthur’s laundry closet. “Somebody give that man more medication!” he yells.

Merlin ends up doing so as soon as it’s been long enough, because Arthur’s head is aching and he won’t eat more than a biteful of food.

“Did I see Father earlier?” Arthur asks, leaning into the couch after he takes the pills and eyeing his friends, who are recovering from their food orgy. Gwen has just hung up with the people who have been shampooing the blood stains out of her carpet. Fortunately, most of it came up.

Morgana fills her in on Uther’s latest visit.

“God, I barely remember,” Arthur says, swiping his hand over his face.

“Believe me, I wish I could say the same,” his sister answers.

“I’m sorry this is all being left up to you,” Arthur tells them after a moment, his head sagging onto Merlin’s shoulder.

“Arthur, please stop with the guilt,” Gwen tells him.

“Yeah, just shut up already, and enjoy your lovely pills,” Will tells him from his place on the floor next to Gwaine, who lounges in his boxer briefs, reading a magazine, his head inches from Arthur’s hand. As the meds kick in, Arthur begins to play with Gwaine’s hair. Gwaine lifts his eyes to meet Elena’s across the room, and Elena stifles a giggle. Arthur lifts and twirls Gwaine’s hair around his finger, mesmerized, his head lolling on Merlin’s shoulder as Arthur struggles to lift it to get a better look at what he’s doing.

“Arthur?” Gwaine finally says.

“Hmm?”

“What are you doing?”

“Your hair. I like it,” Arthur says. “So long and pr-ritty.”

Everyone busts into laughter—they can’t help it. Seeing normally dignified and reserved Arthur toying with Gwaine’s locks, calling them pretty, is just so fucking bizarre.

“It’d look really nice with some ribbons in it,” Merlin says evilly, and Arthur raises his head, looking interested.

“Now, now, don’t be giving him ideas!” Gwaine scoffs. “Go to sleep, Arthur. You’re tired, mate.”

Merlin pulls Arthur back down, snuggling him until Arthur begins to snore softly.

“Your hair really is quite pretty,” Merlin says teasingly, touching Gwaine’s head.

Gwaine makes a disgusted sound, but he smiles.

Will puts on a movie and somebody makes popcorn. Merlin gets a little hot under Arthur’s sweaty form, and Gwen fetches a pillow, slipping it under Arthur’s head so Merlin can ease out from under him and take a place on the floor next to Gwaine.

“Oi, you can borrow some of Arthur’s pants if you like,” Merlin tells Gwaine, eyeing his mostly naked form.

“Why, too tempting for you?” Gwaine asks with a leer. “Sorry, mate, but I’m straight. I might be willing to give you a whirl anyway, but Elena’s pretty weird about stuff like that. And besides, I think Arthur’s pants might be too loose in the bum.”

Merlin gives Gwaine an incredulous look. “I hope you aren’t insinuating that Arthur’s bum is anything but perfect! Yours must be lacking.”

“I assure you, mine is not lacking in any way!” Gwaine tells him. “I have a marvelous arse. Arthur’s sticks out a bit too much. Just a bit.”

Gwen smiles behind her hand, because she can see that Merlin is truly affronted on Arthur’s behalf.

“Arthur’s got the best arse I’ve ever seen!”

“Don’t you think you’re a little biased?” Gwaine asks doubtfully.

“No! I’ll have you know I was attracted to that arse long before I ever touched it!” Merlin looks to Gwen. “Gwen, isn’t Arthur’s arse a thing of beauty?”

They all turn to where Arthur is huddled on the couch, sound asleep, cheek pressed to the sofa and said-arse poking in the air.

“Yes, Merlin, it’s lovely,” Gwen placates him. She actually does rather love Arthur’s bum, but she doesn’t want to get into that in front of Lance.

“I think it’s time for some mimosas,” Elena announces, wisely heading for the kitchen.

“Better than mine?” Gwaine asks Gwen. He stands up, parading around in his Calvin Kleins.

“Elena!” Lance calls. “Reign in your man!” Elena’s muted reply sounds suspiciously like a refusal.

“I wouldn’t say better…” Gwen hedges, “just different.”

“For heaven’s sake, it’s all a matter of taste,” Morgana huffs, getting up from the end of the couch. She holds up a hand before Gwaine can speak. “And please don’t have me weigh in on my brother’s bum. I’m not going there.” She flounces out of the room.

“Just put your jeans in the dryer,” Lance suggests, and Gwaine sighs, turning toward the laundry closet.

The next time Arthur wakes up, Morgana makes him eat some soup, and they distract him from his obvious pain with another movie before they let him have any more medication. Merlin decides Arthur needs a shower and convinces Gwaine that he’s going to help him with this, since Arthur’s getting groggy.

“Well, why didn’t you do it before you gave him more pills?” Gwaine asks, exasperated.

“I don’t know about you, but I’d rather help a drugged, complacent Arthur than a cranky, hurting one,” Merlin answers, leading Arthur to the bathroom, and Gwaine has to agree.

Gwen fixes some plastic wrap over Arthur’s bandage to help keep it from getting wet, and retreats to the living room.

“ _Gwaine put on your clothes, Gwaine take off your clothes_ , would you people bloody well make up your minds?” she hears Gwaine complaining from the bathroom amid the sounds of clothes stripping off. Lance is taking a nap in the bedroom, and Morgana and Percy have gone out. Will, Elena, Elyan, and Leon sit on the floor playing cards.

“I’ll hold him still; you undress him,” Merlin directs. Gwen settles on the couch with a magazine, only half listening to the grunts and expletives coming from down the hall. The shower comes on.

“Merlin, would you please hurry? I’ve got your boyfriend’s manly bits pressed up to mine, and while generally comfortable in my sexuality, this is really weird.” Gwaine groans.

Elena slaps her cards down and gets to her feet, running for the bathroom. Gwen lifts her head when Elena shrieks, “Oh, my God, that is so fucking _hot_! It’s like all my fantasies come true! Three naked men all pressed together in the shower. And Merlin…you’ve got quite the nice bum yourself!”

“Get out, Elena!” Merlin orders, and Elena laughs so uproariously, she snorts.

“I need my mobile!” Elena runs for her purse.

“Don’t you dare!” Gwaine exclaims, but Elena’s already found it.

Gwen can’t take it anymore. She leaves the magazine and joins Elena at the door. And there is wet, naked Gwaine standing in the shower stall holding up wet, naked Arthur, while wet, naked Merlin soaps him up. It’s definitely quite the eye-full.

Arthur’s pretty out of it, and he’s laid his head on Gwaine’s shoulder in a way that Gwen can only term _absolutely precious_. Gwaine has his arm around Arthur’s waist, and he’s trying valiantly to keep Arthur’s injured head away from the spray of water while Merlin runs a soapy wash cloth all over Arthur’s body.

Elena is taking pictures with her mobile while Gwaine cusses her. “I’m sorry, but you guys are adorable! I just want this for my private collection,” Elena promises, still snapping photos.

“Women are so weird,” Merlin mutters as he rinses Arthur off.

“Cold,” Arthur moans into Gwaine’s neck, his teeth chattering.

“Just hold on a minute, big boy,” Gwaine tries to hoist the sagging man up, but he’s slippery, and Gwaine’s hands end up on Arthur’s arse.

“Gwaine likes m’bum, Merlin,” Arthur laughs.

“Hands off, Gwaine,” Merlin warns.

Gwen notices that Elena has switched to video. She takes a moment herself to admire the men. Gwaine is wiry and tanned, with abs to die for. Arthur is well-built too, and Gwen really does prefer his arse because it’s round and pert and just juicy-looking. He doesn’t have too much body hair, and what he does have is blond. Merlin also has a nice build—tall, lean, and pale with a smaller bum that’s still nice to look at. His shoulders are very broad, and he has a sprinkling of dark hair on his chest and…other places.

Suddenly embarrassed to be ogling her friends, Gwen turns and gets some towels for them, handing them over before retreating into the other part of the flat. She’s just in time to hear the knock at the door and see Will open it to reveal Uther Pendragon. Again.

Gwen backs up, thinking she’ll push the guys back into the bathroom, but it’s too late because they’re standing in the hallway, towels around their waists.

“Oh my God,” Uther says, mouth dropping open. “It’s worse than I thought.”

“It’s just a shower, old man, don’t get your knickers in a twist,” Gwaine tells him. “Come on, Merlin, Arthur’s cold.”

“H’lo, Father!” Arthur calls over his shoulder as he’s hustled into the bedroom. Uther follows, standing at the door and surveying the scene as Merlin efficiently dries Arthur off while Gwaine searches for clean pyjama pants.

“I see you still have him drugged to the nines,” Uther says with a disapproving sniff.

“I guess you’d rather he just bite a bullet through the pain,” Merlin answers stiffly.  Quietly, he says to Arthur, “Lift your leg, that’s it,” as he gets him dressed.

“I don’t suppose you’ve spoken to the bitch who made your son have to have twenty-six stitches in his head,” Merlin continues, carefully pulling the plastic off Arthur’s bandage. “Shit, I’m going to have to change this, Arthur. Gwaine? Will you get the stuff?”

Gwaine moves out of the room. Arthur is trying to peer around Merlin at his father.

“I haven’t spoken to Sophia, no. I suspect she was upset.” Uther crosses his arms over his chest and leans against the wall just inside the door.

Merlin takes a breath and rolls his eyes, but he doesn’t say anything.

Gwen is watching from just outside the doorway and takes the bandages and other supplies from Gwaine, walking into the room to assist Merlin.

“I suppose this was quite a blow to you,” Uther seems to be directing this statement at Gwen, although he doesn’t say her name. “Finding out my son’s a faggot. You dated him quite a while, after all.”

“Arthur is a person,” Gwen replies, her hackles rising. “And no, it isn’t any kind of a blow to me. Frankly, I’m thrilled to find he loves someone so much who loves him back equally.” Her eyes meet Merlin’s, and they smile at one another. “Besides that, I loathed Sophia. She was shallow and cold, and she treated Arthur like a possession.”

Arthur winces as Merlin removes the bandage, probably because it pulls his hair. Gwen reaches over and holds the blond strands out of the way. The stitches look cruel and severe in the lamplight. Uther inches forward to take a look.

“That’s quite a lot of stitches,” he comments tonelessly.

“There was quite a lot of glass involved,” Gwaine answers sharply.

Merlin goes about applying ointment and a new bandage while Arthur fiddles with the embroidery on Merlin’s towel.

“I’m going to take him back to the manor to recuperate,” Uther suddenly announces from behind them.

“Over my dead body,” Merlin replies calmly yet with a force that surprises and pleases Gwen.

“You people can’t take care of him…you all have jobs, and he’ll need days of recuperation. At least until he’s off these pills that make him silly.”

“We’ll be weaning him off these starting tomorrow,” Gwen tells Uther. “And we’ve already figured this out. Percy works nights, and he’ll stay with Arthur.”

“Who in the devil is this Percy person?” Uther says disparagingly.

“I’m Percy,” Percy appears at the door, large and broad, filling the space entirely.

“Father, not again!” Morgana is right behind Percy, pushing her way under his arm.

“Morgana, stay out of this. This is about your brother.”

“That’s right, which makes it my business!”

“It makes it all of our business,” Merlin says firmly, turning to Uther just as Arthur yanks Merlin’s towel off.

“Arthur!” Merlin cries out, making a grab for it.

“And you can’t expect some stranger to give up his days to stay with him,” Uther argues.

“Percy’s not a _stranger_!” Morgana exclaims. “He’s one of Arthur’s dearest friends.” At that, Arthur gets up and goes to Percy, still standing in the doorway, and hugs him. Percy wraps his arms around Arthur, his mouth curving in a shy smile.

“I don’t mind staying with Arthur during the day,” he says. “It’s no problem at all.”

“And I’m going to bring them lunch,” Gwaine says.

“And I’m spending the night,” Merlin adds as he slips into his jeans.

Uther rolls his eyes. “Now why doesn’t _that_ come as a surprise,” he remarks dryly.

“We’re all going to help out,” Gwen puts in, “because we all love Arthur. Mr. Pendragon, Arthur has all the support he needs. He’s going to do fine.” She stares meaningfully at the older man until she’s certain that he understands that she isn’t just talking about right now.

Something changes slightly in Uther’s expression. “I see,” he says. “Well, I suppose time will tell.” He turns and leaves the room.

“Father,” Morgana calls to him. “It doesn’t have to be this way.” She follows him into the hall. “Arthur doesn’t want it to be this way.”

“He’s made his decision,” Uther replies sternly before walking out the door.

Later that night, as Gwen is rummaging through the bathroom cabinet for an antacid for Lance, she hears murmuring from Arthur’s room. Tiptoeing to the door, she leans in to listen, wondering if Merlin might need help with Arthur.

“So, once again Father saw me acting like an idiot,” Arthur says. Gwen can just make out the two of them cuddled up in bed together.

“You weren’t, Arthur. You were on pain medication. There’s a difference. Your father came to take you home with him. He was probably going to hook you up to some machine and de-gayify you.”

Gwen hears Arthur’s chuckle. “That’s not even a word, _Mer_ lin.”

“Prat,” Merlin whispers fondly, and Gwen has to struggle to hear his next words. “I’m glad you chose me.”

“When it came down to it,” Arthur says, and the bed rustles as he moves, “there was no choice. I simply couldn’t let you go.”

Gwen smiles and leans in, wanting to see their kiss because, well, she’s feels a bit entitled, having come this far with them. Hand on the door, she shifts, tripping over her own foot, and hits the door, sprawling onto the floor of the bedroom. Merlin and Arthur sit up and stare down at her over the side of the bed.

“Gwen?” Merlin asks. “Really. Eavesdropping again?”  
“Um. No, no. I was just checking on you. Seeing if you need anything…you know. But I can see that you don’t. So. I guess I’ll be going back to Lance with the antacids. If I can find them, that is.” She struggles to her feet. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Merlin and Arthur call after her before breaking into smothered laughter.

 

_fin_


End file.
